She gets to her feet, making some distance between herself and Ford, then
summons her sword - a huge, opalescent pink blade with a rose-patterned
hilt.
"Rose, that's incredible!" Ford exclaims. "I definitely didn't request that one back! You know what this means, don't you?"
He's beaming. As arbitrary, frustrating, and made-to-entertain as graduation is, the fact that Rose is alive and free again is something to be happy about.
But then she does. The celebratory snacks out of nowhere, the abilities she
couldn't access? It all adds up, and she whoops a laugh and picks him up
into a much bigger hug like he weighs nothing.
Ford brushes off his sweater, a twinge of doubt nagging at his mind.
He wants his deal -- wants to see if the Admiral will give him the ability he wants, to get his family out of Gravity Falls and into a temporally open dimension. But...
It doesn't sit quite right with him to take the deal and walk away, as though all of this had just been a transaction. Ford hadn't really thought he could get anyone to graduation. It wasn't why he'd stayed. He'd meant to be a friend to Rose, not a moral guide, and she was the one who had done the work. Maybe he could find a way to get what he needed anyway, with enough time and science.
He wouldn't be able to sit peacefully with himself, as someone concerned about inmates' wellbeing, if he didn't ask her.
"Actually, about that," Ford says, his face turning serious. "I wanted to ask you -- do you want to take the deal? It doesn't feel right for me to take it, not without seeing if there was anything you needed first. You're the one whose life was in danger, who had to grow and change. I was...all I did was be your friend."
Rose freezes up for a moment, then just smiles and shakes her head.
"Ford, I didn't even want a second chance when I first came here.
Remember? My existence ended in the first place because I wanted it to. I
didn't risk something that I hadn't already decided to give away."
"But that changed," Ford replies. "Being here changes what you want. If there's one thing the Barge does right, it's waiting until graduation to decide what the deal needs to be. Are you sure there's nothing you need it for?"
"...Of course there are things I could do. But if I decide I know exactly
how to fix everything that's gone wrong, without even asking the people
it's affected..."
She shakes her head.
"Then I haven't learned anything, have I? It's your deal, Ford. Please take
it."
Ford nods, once, seriously. He respects that -- talking to her might give some of the people who were hurt and frightened by what happened some closure. It takes guts to open yourself up like that.
"I understand," he says. Then, with a smile -- "I'm going to miss you."
"Of course!" Ford says, immediate. "If I ask the Admiral to send me there, I can come visit you any time. And I'm working on a ship that should let me cross between dimensions. So, as long as I have a scan of you or Jasper in this--" He indicates the handheld scanner he used on the cookies a minute ago "--I'll be able to find your dimension based on its transuniversal designation. It's not as easy as a phone call, but....if you'd like, I can come by to see you."
"Okay," he says. "How about I come by in a few weeks?" That seems like a good amount of time for Rose to make her apologies, ask what people want as amends, and figure out what she's doing and where she's going.
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"Okay, let's see -"
She gets to her feet, making some distance between herself and Ford, then summons her sword - a huge, opalescent pink blade with a rose-patterned hilt.
Surprise makes her smile.
"Look!"
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He's beaming. As arbitrary, frustrating, and made-to-entertain as graduation is, the fact that Rose is alive and free again is something to be happy about.
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"I don't..."
But then she does. The celebratory snacks out of nowhere, the abilities she couldn't access? It all adds up, and she whoops a laugh and picks him up into a much bigger hug like he weighs nothing.
"Ford!"
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"You did it!" he cries. "You really did it! Rose, you get to go home! You're free!"
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Rose remembers herself and sets him down, gently, still laughing.
"And you get your deal, Ford! This is wonderful."
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Ford brushes off his sweater, a twinge of doubt nagging at his mind.
He wants his deal -- wants to see if the Admiral will give him the ability he wants, to get his family out of Gravity Falls and into a temporally open dimension. But...
It doesn't sit quite right with him to take the deal and walk away, as though all of this had just been a transaction. Ford hadn't really thought he could get anyone to graduation. It wasn't why he'd stayed. He'd meant to be a friend to Rose, not a moral guide, and she was the one who had done the work. Maybe he could find a way to get what he needed anyway, with enough time and science.
He wouldn't be able to sit peacefully with himself, as someone concerned about inmates' wellbeing, if he didn't ask her.
"Actually, about that," Ford says, his face turning serious. "I wanted to ask you -- do you want to take the deal? It doesn't feel right for me to take it, not without seeing if there was anything you needed first. You're the one whose life was in danger, who had to grow and change. I was...all I did was be your friend."
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Rose freezes up for a moment, then just smiles and shakes her head.
"Ford, I didn't even want a second chance when I first came here. Remember? My existence ended in the first place because I wanted it to. I didn't risk something that I hadn't already decided to give away."
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"...Of course there are things I could do. But if I decide I know exactly how to fix everything that's gone wrong, without even asking the people it's affected..."
She shakes her head.
"Then I haven't learned anything, have I? It's your deal, Ford. Please take it."
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"You're right," he says, feeling very, very proud of her. "You're absolutely right. Rose, I think you're going to do just fine."
Okay. He'll take the deal.
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Hug #3 commencing...now.
"So are you, Ford. I'm so glad you're my friend."
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"Thank you," he says. Then, Ford asks: "How long do you think you're going to stick around?"
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"...Not long," she says. "I need to talk to Beetlejuice, and give people time to talk to me if they want to."
If. She's not failing to recognise how short a time ago it was that...all those things happened.
"But...I need to get home."
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"I understand," he says. Then, with a smile -- "I'm going to miss you."
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"I'm going to miss you too, Ford," she says, and leans back a little to wipe away a tear. "Is there...any way I'll be able to see you again?"
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"I'd like that very much, Ford."
She reaches down to squeeze his hand - with normal human pressure this time.
"It'll be nice to know how you're doing."
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"Okay," he says. "How about I come by in a few weeks?" That seems like a good amount of time for Rose to make her apologies, ask what people want as amends, and figure out what she's doing and where she's going.
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"A few weeks sounds great."
Although who knows how long that's going to be in Barge time.